Carrie Richards/Associated Press Lorri Waldman's 'Bowl Incline' license plate cover lays on the ground near her car that flipped and slid off Hwy. 431 Friday afternoon a half mile east of the summit. Waldman had no major injuries visible but was taken to a hospital in Reno as a precaution.
Officials at the scene of a single vehicle rollover accident near the Mt. Rose Summit Friday afternoon say the driver was very lucky to escape serious injury.
Lorri Waldman, 68, an Incline Village resident and owner of Bowl Incline, was driving north on State Route 431 about a half-mile past the Mt. Rose Summit when she lost control of her 1996 GMC SUV while trying to make a left bank turn, said Washoe County Sheriff's Deputy Frank Gamboa.
"She was able to walk out with only a few minor scratches," Gamboa said. "She was very lucky she had her seat belt on."
Gamboa and Nevada Highway Patrol Trooper Mike Stapleton said Waldman suffered only minor scratches and bruises. She was taken by ambulance to Renown Medical Center in Reno as a precaution, they said.
The call came in just before 3 p.m. Friday.
"Another lucky one," Stapleton said. "There's no doubt about it - if she wasn't wearing her seat belt, she would have gone out the window."
Tire marks in the road indicate she flipped on her roof and skidded before striking a tree off the right side of the road, officials said.
The force from hitting the tree spun the SUV around, Stapleton said.
Officials were unsure of the official cause of the accident, although Stapleton said he thought either speed or not paying attention may have caused the wreck. But, he said that alcohol did not appear to be a factor.
"She said she was going at a normal speed," Stapleton said.
Police said Waldman was coherent when they arrived and was trying to exit the vehicle.
They said they opened the back door of the SUV and helped her out.